On Sunday evening, at 6 PM, choirs from Mountain Park and Snellville First Baptist will combine to lead a nostalgic service of traditional music at Mountain Park First Baptist Church in Stone Mountain.

Admission is free. This will be a wonderful evening of music featuring both choir and audience singing of historical hymns. Doors will open at 5:30.

Mountain Park FBC is located at 5485 Five Forks Trickum Road in Stone Mountain, GA. This is near the intersection of Five Forks and Rockbridge Road.

The word “hymn” comes from the Greek word hymnos, which means songs of praise. Per the New Testament Jesus and his disciples sang hymns together. For a number of years, hymns primarily were the Psalms and other scriptures set to music, but Martin Luther changed that with his classic “A Mighty Fortress is our God.” He used scriptural principles, but not the literal scripture verses. Although we hold this hymn in high regard today, at the time it was controversial.

Issac Watts created additional controversy with his hymns, but was successful in convincing churches in England to expand their music to include (at that time) modern hymns. In the America’s, Charles Wesley played a big role in setting the tone of American hymns.

Church hymns do tend to reflect the times. Hymns written during hard times often talk of heaven and rest. There are hymns that are celebratory in nature, hymns that are evangelical, hymns that explain doctrines, and hymns that are prayers.

It’s a marvelous art form, and the impact of hymns and music on the Church is hard to overstate.

Come and join us on November 6th, and enjoy a nostalgic time of worship and praise.